Prevalence and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a Saudi Arabian population

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder worldwide; however, epidemiological studies on its prevalence lack in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of OSA in Saudi Arabia.METHODS:The study was performed from 2013 to 2015 in two stages. The screening stage was first; a random sample of Saudi employees (n = 2682) 30–60 years of age completed a survey that included the Wisconsin questionnaire. According to these data, the subjects were categorized as habitual, moderate, or nonsnorers (NSs). The confirmatory second stage was a case–control study conducted on 346 individuals selected from each group using polysomnography (PSG).RESULTS:In the first stage, the prevalence of habitual snoring was 23.5%, moderate snoring was16.6%, while 59.9% of the sample was NSs. Among the 346 individuals who underwent PSG, a total of 235 (67.9%) subjects had OSA with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of ≥5; 76 (22.0%) had OSA syndrome (OSAS), defined by an AHI of ≥5 plus daytime sleepiness; and 227 (65.6%) had clinically diagnosed OSA syndrome (COSAS), as defined by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. A conservative estimate of at least 8.8% (12.8% in men and 5.1% in women) was calculated for the overall prevalence of OSA. Similarly, the overall estimated prevalence of OSAS and COSAS was 2.8% (4.0% in men and 1.8% in women) and 8.5% (12.4% in men and 4.8% in women), respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed age, gender, obesity, and hypertension as independent risk factors of OSA.CONCLUSIONS:Our study demonstrated that the rate and risk factors of OSA in the Saudi population are similar to those observed in Western studies.

The characteristics of dental occlusion in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in Saudi Arabia

“… 3 Based on a study in Saudi population, it has been reported that nearly 4.0% of adult males and 1.8% of adult females are affected by OSA. 4 Evaluating the risk of OSA among Saudi population, not only was it found to be similar to that reported in Western societies, but also one out of 3 Saudi males and 4 out of 10 Saudi females are at high risk of developing OSA. 4 - 6 Unfortunately, moderate to severe OSA still remains undiagnosed in 93% of women and 82% of men around the globe.…”

“… 4 Evaluating the risk of OSA among Saudi population, not only was it found to be similar to that reported in Western societies, but also one out of 3 Saudi males and 4 out of 10 Saudi females are at high risk of developing OSA. 4 - 6 Unfortunately, moderate to severe OSA still remains undiagnosed in 93% of women and 82% of men around the globe. 1 , 3 Furthermore, undiagnosed OSA has been identified as an independent predisposing factor for early development of chronic cardiovascular, endocrine or neurological comorbid conditions.…”

What We Know so far about Obstructive Sleep Apnea Management: A Review Article

“…Moreover, mild OSA is estimated to be in approximately 14% of men and 5% of women [7] . A recent local study done by Wali et al [8] show an estimate of 12.8% in men and 5.1% in women for the overall prevalence of OSA in Saudi Arabia.…”

Prevalence of High Risk Obstructive Sleep Apnoea by Berlin Questionnaire in Patients with Hypertension: Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Epidemiological studies from Asia have shown that the prevalence of OSA in patients with hypertension varies from 14-75% (Ip et al, 1999;Pensuksan et al, 2014;Shirani et al, 2016;Wali, et al, 2017). A number of studies from India have garnered data regarding the overall prevalence of OSA in general population (Kumar et al, 2006;Reddy et al, 2009;Sharma et al, 2010;Udwadia et al, 2004).…”